The Catholic Church will soon make a formal request to the government for a public inquest into the death last year of US missionary Fr John Kaiser's death.

Mombasa Archbishop John Njenga said investigations carried out by the church with assistance of local and international experts had dispelled the official version that the priest committed suicide.

"The church will make its request to Attorney-General Amos Wako soon," said Archbishop Njenga, chairman of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission.

The church wants a tribunal to collect further evidence that could lead to the arrest of the people behind the death.

Archbishop Njenga said the church had rejected the suicide findings by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kenyan Government. The church saw foul play in the death.

"Let the government and the FBI know that Fr Kaiser death probe is not over yet. Since their investigations were not conclusive, the church has every reason to proceed further and unearth the big story behind the priest's murder," Archbishop Njenga said.

The primate was speaking at a party to mark the Journalist Day at the Catholic Lwanga Communication Centre, Mombasa.

He said that a good number of US congressmen and Kenyan politicians were dissatisfied with the FBI and the government suicide theory.

"They have been calling for an in-depth probe into the death of the Fr Kaiser," the archbishop said. "Statistics taken by the church indicate that the wider population backed by expert opinion discredit the FBI and government suicide theory."